Footgear



May 26, 1925.

S. G. MUSSABlNI FOOTGEAR Filed March 21, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 26, 1925.

s. G. MUSSABINI FOOTGEAR Filed March 21, 1923 2 Sheets -Sheet 2 Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE.

SCIPIO GODOLPHIN MUSSABINI, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR. OF TVJO-THIRDSTO JOHN EDVI'IN FYFIE-LD, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

FOOTGEAR.

Application filed March 21, 1923. Serial No. 626,518.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, Soirro GonoLrHiN MUssAniNi, a British subject, residing at Brixton, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Footgear, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in athletic and other footgear and it consists essentially in constructing footgear of front and rear portions separably connected at and around the waist, said connection enabling the footgear to be adjusted or tensioned at the arch or underside of the foot and to be there held against the foot of the wearer.

I make the boot or shoe of two separate parts, front and rear, which are normally secured together at the waist of the shoe by a releasable connection which holds the front and rear portions together at the waist as well as at the sides of the shoe. The connection between the front (or toe) portion and the rear (or heel) portion extends transversely from one side to the other side, and it includes ties at points below and around the underside of the instep. The connection is with advantage so made that it is adjustable as to tension.

By this means I am enabled to make the boot or shoe a glove-tight fit upon and around the foot, to afford increased support to the middle portion of the foot, to provide adjustment in the length of the boot or shoe, and to enable either the front or the rear portion of the shoe to be changed when required. For example, a single rear 01' heel portion could be used with either a spiked front portion or with a rubber-soled front portion, in the case of a shoe for use by a runner. Preferably the releasable connection between the front and rear portions is by means of laces and eyelet holes, which latter are arranged at intervals around the underside of the front and rear portions of the shoe, but other suitable fastenings may be employed such as straps and buckles, or the like. 7

The invention is hereafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan view from the undea side, and Figure 2 a plan from top of a shoe fitted with a crepe rubber sole.

Figures 3 and 4: are plan views respectively of the sole and of the'top of the front portion of a spiked running (or track) shoe.

Figures 5 and 6 are plan views respectively of the underside andof the top, of

the rear portion of a shoe intended to complete the front portion shcwn in Figures 3 and 4. V

Figure 7 is a side view of the heel-less shoe, represented in Figures 36. v

Figure 8 is a side View of another formof carrying out the invention.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the invention applied to a boot.

The front portion at is shown in Figures 1 and 2 provided with the ordinary longitudinal lace-up device consisting of a lace b and eyelets I), this front portion aebeing provided with a rubber sole or wearing piece 0. A tongue d is arranged below the lace-up device 2') bin the usual manner. At its rear end, the front portion aof the shoe is shown provided with a series of eyelets c which extend around the waist and so below the instep, as clearly seenin Figure 1. It is to be noted that these eyelets e are continued from the one meeting face of the lace-up device 6 b to the other meeting face of b b.

The rear portion 7 is shown in Figures 1 and 2 with a rubber heel or wearing piece 9, and at its forwardend with a complementary series of eyelets 72. also extending around the underside of the foot so that the front and rear portions 0 fcan be secured be spaced apart at equal distances or otherwise, as desired. 7

In the arrangement of Figures 3-6, the front portion a is provided with a leather sole 0 and spikes o of the WBllrkIlOWIl character employed by track runners. As will be seen from Fig res 5 and the r arate heel or wearing piece 9 is-dispensed with and the rear portion f is formed to embrace the heel of the wearer without a separate wearing piece (as g). The heel less arrangement will be clear from inspection of Figure 7.

The rear portion f of the shoe is provided with a forwardly extending tongue j secured thereto as b stitches j which tongue overlaps the joint adjacent to the rows of transverse eyelets e h and is continued into the front portion a of the shoe.

The improved footgear made with atransverse adjustable connection at the waist between the front and rear portions, and conpieoe gfas shown in Figure 1.

The row of eyelets h upon the front of the rear portion f is preferably continued rearwardly as indicated at h in Figures 2, 5 and 6, to facilitate the fitting of the shoe to the foot and the tieing of the lace 2' immediately above the instep. As may be desired, the laces b may be continued through the aligned eyelets h audit, or through the eyelets h or the laces inlay pass through the eyelets h.

In the example shown in Figure 8, the front and rear portions a f are again provided with e elets e h. These eyelets, however, are in irectly connected together. A

strap is is provided with complementary eye- 7 lets k along its edges whereby: the strap 70 can be laced onthe one side to the front part a by the lace z and on the other side to the rear part f by the lace i. This transverse strap, ends in theusual tongue and buckle for fastening purposes upon the upper part a of the instep.

Where the invention is applied to; boots, see Figure 9, the uppers f jof the boots are formed with the rear portion 1, and the laceup portion b b may be. partly in the front portion a and the remainder in the uppers f upon the rear portion 1.

In this example, a stra k is employed which passes through loops Z provided upon the front, portion a and rear portion f, these loops alternating in series around the sides and Waist of the boot. The strap can be tightened" around the waist of the foot and the front and rear portions are threaded on the strap, whilst the engagement of the rear portion f with the heel of the wearer, prevents the strap from riding down the foot towards the toes of the wearer.

Having thus described my invention what I claim 1s:-

1. Footgear comprising a front portion, a rear portion, and means for separably connecting said front and rear portions, said means extending transversely from side to side and around the waist of the footgear and being adapted to be tensioned to draw the said waist upwardly.

2. Footgear comprising a front portion, a rear portion, and adjustable means for re leasably connecting together said front and rear portions, said means being arranged at the sides of said front and rear portions and extending transversely across the waist of the footgear.

3. F ootgear comprising a front portion, a wearing piece to said front portion, a rear portion adapted to embrace the heel of the wearer, and. releasable fastening means arranged transversely at the sides and at the waist of said footgear, said fastening means being adjustable as to tension and adapted to hold the waist against the foot of the wearer.

4. Footgear comprising a front portion,

a wearing piece to said front portion, a rear portion adapted to embrace the heel of the wearer, and an adjustable releasable fastening means arranged at the sides of the said front and rear portions and transversely at the waist of the footgear, said 7 fastening means being adapted to be tensioned from the upper part of the foot-gear. I 5. Footgear comprising a front portion,

a wearing piece to said front portion, a rear portion adapted to embrace the heel of the wearer, an adjustable fastening means between said front and rear portions, said fastening means being continued from the sides across the waist of the footgear and involving components provided around the rear of said front portion and around the front ofsaid rearportion, and a tongue secured to one of. said portions and extending beyond the saidv fastening means.

y 6. Footgear comprising a front portion,

. a wearing piece to said front ortion, a rear portion adapted to embrace t e heel of the wearer, a single. releasable connection ar ranged transversely between the rear of said front portion and the front of said rear portion, said single connection being arranged at the sides and at the waist of said footgear, and a tongue secured'to one of said portions and extending across said trans-- verselly arranged releasable connection.

7. ootgear comprising a" frontv portion, a wearing piece to said front portion, a' rear portion adapted to embrace the heel of the wearer, a single releasable and adjustable connection between the rear of said front P01131011 and the front of saidrear portion,

said connection including tics which are arranged at the sides and transversely of the waist of said footgear, and a tongue secured to one of said front and rear portions and overlapping the other of said portions.

8. In a shoe of the transversely divided kind, the combination with front and rear portions of a releasable connection which extends down the sides and from one side to the other side of the shoe and is continued transversely across the waist of the shoe,v

and means for tensioning said connection to draw the said waist towardsthe underside of the foot of the wearer.

9. In a shoe of the transversely divided kind, disconueotihle front and rear portions, :1 wearing piece to said front portion, apertures spared around the rear of said front portion and around the front of said rear portion, a single flexible releasable fastening device which is threaded through said apertures, and means for tensioning said flexible device from the top of the shoe and around the waist thereof.

10. In a shoe of the transversely divided kind, disconnectible front and rear portions, means for tensio-ning said front portion around the foot of the wearer, apertures sp'aced around the rear of said front portion and around the front of said rear portion and transversely of the waist of the shoe, a single flexible, releasable device which is adapted to be threaded through said apertures, means for tensioning said flexible device around the waist of the shoe, and a tongue which is secured to one of said disconnectible portions and extends across the transversely arranged tensioning device.

11. In a shoe, a front portion open at top and adapted to embrace the front of the foot, a rear portion open at top and adapted to embrace the heel of the wearer, a sole to said front portion, a single flexible releasable device which. connects together the rear of said front portion and the front of said rear portion at the sides of said portions, said single releasable device being also con tinued transversely across the waist of the shoe and being adapted to draw the waist againstthe underside of the foot, and a tongue which is secured to one of said front and rear portions and extends across the transverse]y-arranged connecting device into the other of said portions.

12. As a new article of manufacture, a two-part shoe including a removable front portion, a removable rear portion adapted to extend around the heel of the wearer and a single, flexible, releasable connection between said front and rear portions, said connection extending from side to side of the shoe and transversely across the waist thereof and said connection being adapted to be tensioned longitudinally.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

SCIPIO GODOLPHIN MUSSABZNK. 

